New Vaccine Requirements in Maryland Schools

As reported by NBC news, students enrolling in school in Maryland for the 2014-2015 school year are required to get some new vaccinations.  NBC states that at least three counties in Maryland will ask for an extension on new vaccine requirements that could have kept students out of school.  According to NBC’s report,

The state announced [last] Friday that school districts may apply for a 45-day extension for students to get the immunizations. On Monday, school officials in Montgomery County said they have already applied for the extension, and officials in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties say they plan to.

Charles County Public Schools provides the following details on their website,

Prekindergarten requirements:

  • DaPT
  • Polio
  • Haemophilus Influenza type B, known as HIB
  • Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
  • Hepatitis B
  • Varicella
  • Prevnar

Kindergarten requirements:

  • DaPT
  • Polio
  • Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
  • Varicella
  • Hepatitis B

Requirements for grades 1-12:

  • DaPT
  • Polio
  • Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
  • Varicella
  • Hepatitis B

NBC reports that the new standards are in line with a national recommendation for vaccinations in schools.  As described by NBC,

Kurt Seetoo, the senior immunization epidemiologist at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said the new requirements brings the state on board with the “30 to 40 states” that have already implemented the national recommendation.

For more information, see New Vaccine Requirements: At Least Three Maryland School Districts to Request Extension, Maryland Schools Can Request Extension for Vaccine Deadline, and Maryland Introduces New Vaccination Requirements for School Enrollment from NBC news, and this announcement from Charles County Public Schools.